A man who almost lost his life due to waves in the Columbia River in the United States was rescued by the US Coast Guard on the 3rd (local time). Later, it became known that this man was a wanted criminal./Facebook
A man who almost lost his life in the raging waves of the Columbia River in the United States was saved thanks to rescuers. However, it is shocking that it is belatedly known that this man is a wanted criminal since last year.
On the 4th (local time), US Fox News and others reported on the incident in which a man was rescued from an overturned yacht in Astoria, Oregon on the 3rd.
According to reports, the U.S. Coast Guard announced on Twitter on the day of the accident that two Coast Guard airmen were dispatched to the scene after receiving an emergency rescue request signal that read “Mayday.” At the time, the crew found a yacht that was stuck in the waves and couldn’t get out of the site. The crew decided that it would be difficult to rescue by boat due to the strong waves, so they decided to send a rescuer in a helicopter down to the sea to approach the yacht.
The guards also shared a video of the rescue operation at the time. The video shows lifeguards swimming towards the yacht and a man standing at the rear of the yacht. As the lifeguards neared the yacht, a large wave came crashing down on the yacht. The yacht was overturned by the strong waves and the man fell into the sea.
It was a dizzying moment that could lead to casualties, but fortunately both the rescuers and the man were unharmed. The Coast Guard said, “The boat capsized, but the rescuers were able to rescue the passengers safely.” The man was then taken to the hospital and treated.
Later, through police and media reports, it was reported that the man who was rescued from a yacht and survived was a wanted criminal.
Astoria Police Chief Stacey Kelly said the passenger was identified as Jericho Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Chief Kelly said that Labonte had been wanted in British Columbia for harassment and other charges since last fall.
It was also revealed that the yacht that Labonte was riding at the time of the distress was not owned by him. Chief Kelly explained that the yacht was confirmed to belong to Mr. A, who lives near Warrenton, Oregon. Police said LaBonte was also accused of sneaking into an Astoria home and leaving a dead fish on the front porch.
However, it is said that Labonte has not yet been charged by the police. This is because the police confirmed his charges only after Labonte got out of the hospital. Fox News reported that the police are continuing their investigation, including identifying the whereabouts of Labonte.
